Lean On Me
by jadefirefly3D
Summary: Mabel seems to have the worst luck with boyfriends but this latest one is the worst. After a date ends badly, like, ending up in the ER badly, Mabel is left broken and Dipper is left picking up the pieces. Warning, deals with violence and the aftermath of assault.
1. The Painful Truth

A/N Hello everyone! I hope you guys had a great start to the year and I hope you enjoy my story. Warning, this does deal with rather sensitive issues that may upset some people. Depending on the response this will either be a two shot or I may expand into a slightly longer story if the interest is there AND my muse deems it so. For those who care, I'm working on updates for my other stories, hope to get them posted soon. Not much else to say but enjoy!

* * *

 **The Painful Truth**

 _Disco girl, shining through, that girl is you!_

The sound of Dipper's ringtone pulled Dipper out of his peaceful sleep. He had been exhausted, so much that shortly after midnight he kicked his friends out, wishing them Happy New Year as they left and went to bed by one, falling asleep almost instantly so when his phone began to ring, he blinked an irritated eye open and shut it off, vaguely wondering who would call him so late and why as he went back to sleep.

 _Disco girl, shining through, that girl is you!_

Dipper groaned, reaching for his phone to turn the sound off, cursing whoever would call him in the middle of the night. Unlike the rest of the world, he had to work New Year's Day, and he needed his sleep. He glanced at his phone as he swiped to reject the call, as he did so he noticed that it was Mabel calling. But why would Mabel be calling him? She was asleep in the other room, right? It was four in the morning!

But then Dipper realized that when he went to bed, she still hadn't come home yet from her New Year's party with her new boyfriend, well, not even boyfriend really, just some guy she liked that she went out with once or twice with some friends. Dipper only met him briefly, but he immediately hated him, getting a bad vibe from him, but then again, he tended to dislike all of Mabel's boyfriends and crushes. But Mabel promised that she would be home by two at the latest, so of _course_ she was home. It wasn't like her to be late.

Unless something was wrong…

He grabbed his phone and called her, but it went straight to voicemail. Frowning he climbed out of bed and headed for her room, knocking softly on the door. It wasn't unusual for Mabel to sleep with her phone under her pillow for some reason, maybe she called by mistake, kind of like a pocket dial? "Mabel?" he whispered, "You in there?" he dared open the door a crack and looked in her room at her bed. Her empty bed.

He rushed back to his own room, both angry and worried, muttering under his breath and found that it was ringing again and he dived for it to answer, "Mabel? What's going on, why are you calling me so late? I have to work in the morning! Why aren't you at home?"

"Dipper?" her voice sounded tired and hoarse and oddly meek. He heard her sniff and he realized she was crying, or had been crying. Immediately his irritation shifted to concern, though he was still annoyed by his interrupted sleep.

"What's wrong? Is everything OK? What happened?"

"I…I'm OK," she whispered, "I need you to give me a ride home."

"You know we're not allowed to use the car. Why isn't whatshisname giving you a ride?"

"Scott?" Mabel murmured distantly, referring to the new guy she liked, "It's not going to work out between us. It's over before it really began."

He noticed then that her voice was slightly slurred and Dipper narrowed his eyes in a suspicion, taking into consideration the somewhat rebellious streak Mabel has been on lately and the fact she was at a New Year's party, "Have you been drinking? Mom and dad would kill you if…"

"No!" she exclaimed, sounding hurt and slightly offended, "No, of course not. Please, I need a ride. Mom and dad don't have to know you borrowed the car."

Dipper sighed, "OK, where are you?"

"Piedmont General Hospital," she said it quietly, a barely discernable mumble, almost embarrassed.

His concerned irritation immediate shifted to full blown worry, "What happened are you OK? Was there an accident?"

"Something like that," she replied vaguely, "but I'm fine, OK? It's nothing serious."

"What happened?"

She sighed, "Dipper, please, I really can't talk about it right now. Just please? Come and get me?"

Dipper was already throwing on a pair of jeans and digging through a pile of clothes looking for a t-shirt to wear, "Of course. I'll be right there."

"And don't worry, I know how you get, I promise I'm OK," she added.

Her words only helped put him at ease slightly, but not enough to make a huge difference in his worry levels. But it was enough to keep his head on straight, though his imagination did start to run wild as he wondered what exactly happened and what was wrong. He couldn't help it. Mabel was hurt, even if it wasn't serious, it was clearly bad enough if she was at the hospital. But it very well could be worse than she was letting on, because if it wasn't serious, wouldn't she tell him up front what she was there for?

Their parents were spending New Year's at an All-Inclusive in Mexico and wouldn't be home for a few more days. They left the car behind with strict instructions that they weren't allowed to drive it, not even so Dipper could go to his job as a dishwasher at a nearby restaurant. The only exception was unless it was an emergency, and to Dipper, this definitely qualified.

He grabbed the keys from the kitchen and carefully drove to the hospital. The main entrance was closed so he went to Emergency and looked around before asking a nurse about Mabel.

"You're her brother, right?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Thought so," she gave him a warm smile, "she said you were coming and that your parents were in Mexico?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "Where is she?"

"Come with me," the nurse waved him over and led the way through the ER. On the way he passed a curtained cubicle with a couple of police officers standing outside and whoever the patient behind the curtain was, he seemed rather angry and intoxicated. When one of the officers gave him a sharp look Dipper cocked his head, eying her curiously.

The nurse led him to a curtained cubicle where he tentatively poked his head in and saw Mabel lying in the bed with her eyes closed and her arm in a sling. She looked terrible. There was a line of stitches along her hairline on her forehead, and a dark bruise along her face, with a swollen black eye, she had a split lip and another shallow cut on her cheek and there were more bruises and cuts on her arm where he could see skin, and more peeking out from the sleeve of the pale blue hospital gown.

"Mabel," he breathed, approaching her cautiously, as though she would shatter and gently placed his hand on her arm where her skin wasn't marred by bruises or cuts.

She startled awake in a slight panic, but when her eyes rested on him she immediately relaxed, her lips curling into a relieved smile, "Hey bro-bro," she murmured.

"Hey," he returned softly, not knowing what to say.

"Um, I should be good to go soon," Mabel sounded unsure, "I'm just waiting for the doctor to say I can leave. Sorry, I thought I would be allowed to go by now…"

"Are you OK?"

"Yeah, the doc gave me some really strong painkillers," she chuckled, her eyes fluttering closed as she relaxed her head against the pillow, "So, you know, I'm fine."

"What happened?"

"Dislocated my shoulder," she shrugged, "but they put it back in place. Just need rest and I might need physio…"

"How?"

She hesitated, glancing away from him, "Um…" she chuckled awkwardly, "you know, I can be kind of a klutz. I…" her eyes met his for a brief moment, a raw display of sadness and fear so thinly concealed that he could tell the exact moment she realized that he could see right through her and she quickly glanced away again, "I fell. Super embarrassing."

Mabel was a terrible liar, so he knew from her body language, her tone of voice and deliberate vagueness that there was far more to the story than she was willing to tell. There was a partial truth, but it was only there as a weak attempt to hide the deceit. But why lie?

"You fell?" he couldn't even try to hide his skepticism.

"Yeah," she replied, "I simply…fell. Uh, down some stairs, that's right. Scott and I had a fight…"

"Did he do this to you?"

"No!" Mabel exclaimed defensively, she took a calming breath and softened her voice, "No. But I was so upset I wasn't watching where I was going and I fell down the stairs when I was trying to leave."

Dipper eyed her curiously and reluctantly decided to believe her, even though he knew that it was at best only a half-truth and at worst a flat out lie. He couldn't tell for sure, just that she was keeping something from him. If it was something more, she clearly didn't want to get into it. She would tell him when she was ready. Besides, Dipper had to admit that sometimes his protective nature had him jump to conclusions sometimes, especially when it involved Mabel and her many boyfriends.

He hated all her boyfriends, and it always turned out that he had a good reason to. For someone who was so open and friendly, and gave herself so freely to others, it left her so vulnerable to heartache. There was Gideon, who was a little psychopath who couldn't accept that she wasn't interested in him, going so far as to try and kill him because he thought Dipper was getting between them, and even tried kidnapping her on more than one occasion to keep her to himself. Then there were the less extreme boyfriends who were simply jerks, either taking her for granted, or taking advantage of her kindness and all around treating her like garbage. One even spread a rumour that she was an easy lay on social media in retaliation when he wanted to take things to the next level and she told him she wasn't ready, wanting to save herself for the right person.

The harassment Mabel endured after that was damaging and slowly chipped away at her innocence and positive outlook on life, slowly making her more jaded about the world, turning her into someone she was not. She was still Mabel, but Dipper hated seeing her slowly start to lose that part of herself.

So could anyone really blame Dipper for being immediately suspicious of the guys she was interested in? If she had a crush on someone, she tended to be blind to their faults until it was too late to save her from disappointment and a broken heart.

Mabel shifted in the bed with a pained wince, "Anyway, I'm sorry to wake you. I just…really needed a ride."

"Don't mention it," Dipper replied softly.

They sat in silence for a while, Mabel drifting in and out from the drowsy side effects of the painkiller. She seemed to doze into a light slumber when she startled awake and looked around, slightly disoriented and a little scared before resting her eyes on Dipper, "What time is it?"

"A little after five," Dipper sighed, realizing he had been there an hour.

"I hope they let me go soon, I'm sure there's people here who could use this bed," she groaned, and he could see that the painkillers had worn off, she seemed no longer relaxed but tense and in pain, "Was the waiting room busy when you got here?"

"Not really," he shrugged, recalling a few people in the waiting room that he passed, most likely people who had a bit too much to drink, and that there were a few empty beds in the ER. "I think you're fine to stay a little longer."

"Well, I want to go home anyway," she sighed.

Dipper nodded, realizing he had to be at work in a few hours. He debated on whether or not he should just call in, tell them that there was a family emergency and leave it at that. It was true after all. But he needed the money. They were both graduating high school this year, and he needed to save as much money as he could for a car and for college.

"Are you OK?" he asked, "Want me to get a nurse, it looks like you're really hurting."

"A little," she replied shortly, he could see her knee under her thin blanket twitching nervously. She seemed almost on edge but she was trying hard not to let it show. Interpreting it as pain he placed a comforting hand on her arm and she flinched away, avoiding his eyes. "Sorry," she said in a terse staccato, "Hurts."

"Let me see if I can find someone, you look like you could use more pain meds," he offered, seeing tears form in her eyes. He rose to his feet and went to the nurses station, where they came in and said that she wasn't due for another dose of pain medication yet but they would see what they could do. After a few minutes she was given something to help her relax.

Dipper could tell when it was starting to kick in, she lost some of the tension in her body, but she still seemed on edge, though he chalked it up to pain. He could only imagine how much a dislocated shoulder would hurt, not to mention the stitches and bruises on her face.

He wasn't sure how much time passed when the curtain opened a crack and a young woman stepped in, "Mabel Pines?"

Mabel flinched like a startled kitten but relaxed at the friendly face greeting her.

"That's me," she replied wearily, with a polite smile, glancing up at the woman who didn't look like a nurse or doctor, and Dipper guessed was a volunteer. Her smile faded when Mabel realized that the newcomer wasn't there to tell her she could go home, but Mabel seemed curious and open to whatever reason she was there, now that the initial shock of the unexpected interruption had worn off.

"I just wanted to give you this," she handed her a pamphlet of some sort, "I thought…maybe it would help."

Mabel looked at the pamphlet and her eyes darkened, "Thank you, but no," she shoved the pamphlet back in the woman's hands as tears began to form in her eyes and she snaked her uninjured arm across her stomach, closing herself off.

"I'm just trying to help."

"I don't care," Mabel snapped, "I don't need it, I don't want it."

"I'm sorry, I get it, you're not ready but please when you feel like you are, you should consider looking into this," she insisted sincerely, "I think it could..."

Mabel shook her head, uncharacteristically rude in her tone of voice, "Thanks but no thanks, please, get out. And next time, mind your own business!"

"Right, I'm sorry," she nodded, glancing Dipper's way and then slipping out of the cubicle.

"What was that about?" he asked as Mabel looked away, clearly trying not to cry. He didn't know what was on the pamphlet, only getting a brief glimpse at a black and white photo of two young women, one with her head on the other woman's shoulder.

"Nothing."

Her tone of voice made it loud and clear that she was not going to discuss it further. She turned her head away from him and tried to roll on her side but didn't get far when her movements aggravated her injured shoulder and with a groan she focused her attention on the ceiling, closing herself off from him completely. Any attempt to talk, even to change the subject, Dipper was met with stony silence and irritation so he finally gave up trying.

While he was definitely worried about Mabel, by now Dipper was also frustrated. He hated being left in the dark, and while he didn't want to push her into talking, he wanted to know exactly what was wrong, feeling that any help he could give his sister would be horribly inadequate. He knew her anger was rooted in pain, and there was something alarming about how jittery she seemed to be. She seemed almost…traumatized. Falling down the stairs like Mabel claimed happened would be scary, especially in the moment, but not like this.

"I'm uh, getting a little hungry," Dipper said finally, breaking the silence, "want anything from the vending machine?"

Mabel shook her head, "No thanks," she offered an apologetic and meek smile, though she still couldn't look him in the eye.

"OK, be back soon," he reached into his pocket for some change, as he walked through the ER. The police were still outside the one cubicle and when one officer spotted him she whispered something to her partner before she turned and waked the opposite way. Dipper watched her curiously a moment and carried on his quest for something to snack on while they waited. He spotted the vending machines, grabbed himself a bag of chips and a Pitt Cola, and then looked for a display of pamphlets.

He didn't want to snoop, and it felt like a betrayal, to seek out answers Mabel clearly didn't want him to find, and it _was_ a betrayal in a way. But Dipper needed to know. The longer they waited in that ER cubicle the more he could see just how much her story about what happened didn't add up. It was driving him crazy not knowing, and he hated the places his imagination took him as he speculated about why Mabel was keeping the truth from him and what really happened. How could he help her if he didn't know what was wrong?

He scanned the wall of pamphlets until he spotted the familiar picture on the front of the two women. Heart pounding, he picked it up and his stomach twisted into knots as his hand tightened into a fist around his bag of chips, the bag bursting open as it all became painfully clear.

The pamphlet was advertising a support group for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

Dipper wasn't thinking, he stormed back into the ER, furious and afraid. One of the nurses rushed out from behind the counter and stood in his path, "You can't go back in yet," she said, "your sister's busy and needs her privacy at the moment."

"What happened to her?" he demanded, "Did someone do this to her?"

The nurse's expression shifted when it dawned on her that Dipper knew something he wasn't supposed to, "I'm not allowed to disclose that information."

He glanced at the guarded cubicle where only the one male police officer stood outside now and remembered the way the female officer recognized him and left the moment Dipper left Mabel alone, "Did he do that to her? Is he the reason why she's in here?" he pointed an accusing finger to the guarded curtain.

Another nurse and an orderly approached him, one of the nurses holding his hand out in a placating gesture as the male officer turned his head towards him, "Calm down…"

"No, not until I know what happened to my sister!" he held up the pamphlet, "Some volunteer tried to give this to her, did he….oh man did he…?" he couldn't even bring himself to say it, much less think it. He swallowed hard to keep from throwing up, sickened by the mere concept of someone hurting his sister in…that way. Violently taking away something she could never get back.

"Who was this volunteer?" the first nurse asked, clearly not pleased with this revelation as the second nurse's face darkened.

"I don't know!" Dipper hissed, "But why would she give her this if Mabel wasn't…if she hadn't been…" Dipper felt dizzy, vaguely understanding why she was keeping the details of her 'accident' a secret. Someone hurt his sister on purpose, that was bad enough, but how far did it go?

"Look, what's important right now is your sister's health and well being," the first nurse said, her voice firm but compassionate, "getting worked up like this will not help her in any way."

Dipper forced in a deep breath and nodded, "Right, right…but what am I supposed to do?"

"This volunteer crossed a line," the first nurse said, "giving unsolicited 'help' when she does not know what she's talking about and knows even less than you do. I am not allowed to disclose any private information—"

"But I'm her _twin!_ " he explained.

"That doesn't matter, I'm sorry but it's not up to me. But what I can say is that all you can do right now is be the supportive brother I know you are, and if she wants to talk she will, but you have to trust her and be there for her."

Her words did very little but confirm his fears, but he nodded again, feeling sick to his stomach but he knew she was right. He felt helpless, and fought his instincts to go into the guarded cubicle and make him pay for what he did to Mabel. Because he knew, he _knew_ that the guy behind the curtain was responsible, especially when the female officer that had been guarding him emerged from the curtain pulled around Mabel's cubicle, glanced at him briefly with a look that warned him to stay away, and returned to her post.

He rushed back through the curtain to Mabel's side where she sat crying, wrapping her good arm around herself. On the table the officer had left her card and when her red and teary eyes met Dipper's she curled into herself as best as she could, turning her head away, her eyes downcast in shame.

She knew he knew.

"Mabel, I…"

"I want to go home," she whispered quietly.

He gently rested a comforting hand on her uninjured shoulder but she shrugged him off, hissing in pain when she jarred her injuries, "Don't...don't touch me."

Dipper swallowed back the bile that wanted to push its way to his throat as he realized what the gesture, which normally would be comforting, could mean for Mabel now, "I…"

Mabel blinked back more tears, choking out a sob.

"I'll see if I can find a doctor…" he offered dumbly, "see how much longer you have to stay here…"

She nodded quickly, avoiding his gaze.

He started to leave but then handed her a box of tissues on the counter next to her bed. She took the box without really acknowledging him and he started for the curtain to go and find a doctor or nurse.

"Dipper," Mabel choked out, stopping him in his tracks. She motioned him to come closer so he moved in beside her and sat down beside her bed, "I need you to know one thing and set the records straight. He didn't…," she shuddered, pale and vulnerable, and whispered the rest, "I think you should know that he didn't…r-rape me, if that's what you're thinking."

He looked at her dumbfounded and slightly relieved, believing her. While it would've been horrific no matter what, she had been saving herself for the right person, for someone she loved with all her heart, someone she trusted and believed she could be with for the rest of her life. For a girl who couldn't stand to be single, and would open her heart and practically throw herself at anyone who seemed interested, Mabel believed that her first time should be special, that it was a gift. For that to be violently stolen from her would've been devastating.

But he couldn't be completely relieved, because even if it didn't get that far, it didn't change the fact that someone hurt her, beat her up, dislocated her shoulder and left her lying vulnerable and afraid in the ER.

"H-he tried to," she added, her eyes taking on a haunted look, "he got…h-he got close…too c-close...way too close b-but…I got away. I fought him off, and I got away. I want you to know that. You ought to know that much. So don't…don't do something stupid and don't worry. I'm OK. My shoulder will heal, my body will heal, and I'm not going to see him again so…I'm f-fine."

Dipper didn't know what to say to that. He clenched and unclenched his fists, all at once glad she told him as much as she did, glad that it didn't get as far as he feared, glad that she was able to save herself, but furious because she shouldn't have had to go through that at all. Furious because he wasn't there to protect her. Because he didn't want to go to that stupid party, because while he only met this guy once, he had a bad feeling about him, stronger than the other guys Mabel's dated and he didn't do anything about it. He didn't even _mention_ it. And even though it didn't get that far, it didn't suddenly make everything OK, and it certainly didn't mean Mabel was _fine._

Not knowing how to respond he swallowed hard and nodded.

"I just want to go home," she said, "I'm so… tired."

"Yeah," he whispered hoarsely, running a hand down his face and getting back up on his feet, "yeah, OK. Let me see what I can do."

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A/N Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think! It would mean a lot to me!


	2. Give Her Time

A/N Thanks to everyone who reviewed! nelli3, The Shadow Wolfe, thank you for the kind compliments, I was kind of afraid to post this but you guys put me at ease. Guest, I hope you like this chapter, Draco Mercer, if you're still reading this, I'm not sure your comment was expressing dislike for my story as a whole or the sensitive subject matter (I'd totally understand either way) or if I'm misinterpreting it completely and maybe you're just saying that the chapter was sad, but whatever the case, I respect your opinion. Just wish it wasn't so ambiguous, but whatever. Thanks for the review nonetheless!

Well, without further ado, here's the next chapter.

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 **Give Her Time**

It was almost six in the morning when Mabel was told she could go home. As it turned out, they needed to wait for some of the swelling to go down in her shoulder to make sure that surgery wasn't necessary. When she first went in, it was apparently so bad there was a possibility that they might not have been able to properly get the dislocated joint back in place without it. They took her in for another X-Ray, and seemed satisfied with the results, but they cautioned that she needed to rest and that if there were any problems to come back immediately.

A nurse had to help her change so Dipper stepped outside of the cubicle for privacy, exhausted and emotionally spent. Mabel was distant and quiet, impossible to read. Ever since he found out the truth, her entire demeanour had changed. She had no reason to try and pretend anymore, so she merely closed herself off and shut down, only speaking when she had to, barely acknowledging he was there.

He knew she regretted him finding out what her latest would-be boyfriend Scott did to her, and he felt like a jerk for seeking out the truth behind her back. He both regretted doing it, because he should've found out on Mabel's terms, not his, but at the same time he was glad he knew. Now Mabel didn't have to suffer alone. It was too bad Mabel didn't seem to see it that way. But maybe with time. Right now she was still in shock and it was all to overwhelming to make sense of anything. He just hoped she realized he was motivated by love and concern more than anything else, and that no matter what, she could count on him to always be there for her to support her, whether she wanted it or not.

While he was waiting for Mabel to get dressed, her doctor and another nurse took him aside. They gave him some prescriptions to fill, for pain and anxiety. They suggested she get an appointment with her regular doctor as soon as possible and recommended that she get counselling, warning him of the possibility of PTSD, and then told him of some of the signs to look out for. But they shouldn't push her either unless she was becoming a danger to herself or others.

It was a lot to take in.

He ran his hands through his hair and released a deep breath, allowing a moment to collect himself before he went back to Mabel.

That was when the guarded curtain opened.

The two police officers guided the patient out of the cubicle in handcuffs. Even though he didn't see his face, Dipper recognized him immediately and his fists clenched in rage. "You!" he hissed, storming towards them. The male officer held his hand up to stop him as the one in handcuffs turned to look at him, his face bruised and his nose wrapped in bandages.

"Stand back, kid," the officer warned.

"He hurt my sister!" Dipper protested, wanting to hurt him in return. He took satisfaction in the sight of the dark bruising around his bloodshot eyes and the obviously broken nose, and the odd way he carried himself as he walked, like he took a serious blow to the crotch, but it wasn't enough. He attacked Mabel, he beat her up and violated her and deserved to suffer. Dipper was blinded by anger and hate towards this guy.

"Yeah well look what the bitch did to my face!" he snapped in return, "That little slut was asking for it!"

If Dipper was thinking rationally he would know that what he did next was stupid. He charged, shoving past the officer going in for the attack, enraged that he would have the audacity to talk that way about Mabel, after what he did, after what he attempted to do.

"Back off, kid!" the officer grabbed Dipper and pulled him away as he went after Scott ready to strike, instead he swung at the person holding him back and keeping him away from his sister's attacker. The next thing he knew he was pressed face down on the nurses' counter, his arm twisted painfully behind his back, "Kid, don't be stupid," he said as Dipper struggled under his hold, "I know you're mad, I know you want to hurt this guy for what he did, and believe me he deserves it, but try that again and I will have to arrest you too."

"Dipper…stop."

It was Mabel's voice, hoarse and weary, full of pain and exhaustion and a strange calmness. It pulled Dipper out of his enraged stupor and he stopped resisting and when he was released from his hold he straightened up, embarrassed, muttering a quick apology when he realized suddenly that he had been fighting a police officer.

He turned his attention to Mabel who was standing unsteadily just outside her cubicle, now changed into some fresh scrubs. Her eyes rested on Scott and she held her breath.

"This isn't over, bitch," he threatened with a sneer.

"I…I think it is," she replied, holding her chin up defiantly, refusing to let him see her fear.

"You come anywhere near my sister again…"

"Try and stop me!" he hissed, "Bitch has it coming!"

"Hey!" the female officer snapped, giving Scott a shake, "You best be quiet. Now come on!" she turned him around and started to lead him towards the exit, her partner joining them.

Scott called after them as they were leaving through the door, "See you later, Mabel, this isn't over! This isn't over!"

Dipper resisted his urge to go after him, instead he turned back to Mabel who was trembling, her face sheet white. She swayed unsteadily, folding over herself. The nurse who had helped her change was trying to coax her into a wheelchair but she motioned to her that she was OK.

"You really should sit down," she stated, Mabel nodded reluctantly and eased into the chair, relieved to be sitting.

"Mabel…" Dipper breathed rushing to her side, "Are you…?"

"Get away from me," she snapped.

Dipper was taken aback, but he did as he was told.

"All of you!" she added. "Just…give me a minute."

The nurse was taken aback as well but she nodded, motioning Dipper to give Mabel her space. "Come on, I think there's a bit more paperwork to take care of before you go."

There wasn't paperwork, except for some forms that their parents needed to fill out and sign when they got back from their trip, but it was a chance to give Mabel a moment and to help Dipper get back into a more rational headspace.

"I don't understand, we…we always turn to each other when we're going through stuff, why…?"

"You're a man," the nurse replied bluntly.

"I'm her brother, her twin brother, that's different."

"I know, but she's been through a lot tonight. It's a lot for her to deal with, and this kind of trauma, I don't think she believes you can help her with this," the nurse said, "especially with you losing your cool in front of her, in front of the whole ER, she probably feels humiliated enough as it is."

"So I bump into the guy who brutally attacked her and I'm supposed to just let it go?" Dipper scoffed.

"He was in handcuffs," the nurse pointed out.

"Doesn't matter," Dipper fumed, "he hurt my sister."

"I know you want to protect her, I know you want justice, but do you think she wants you to be stupid and get yourself arrested? You attacked a police officer to get to him, you're lucky he let you go," the nurse added.

"I know it was stupid, but what else was I supposed to do, huh?" Dipper felt his eyes burn from the sting of tears, "I have to do something!"

"I know it's difficult, and I know it's a lot to deal with, I can't imagine how helpless you must feel, but what your sister needs right now is for you to be strong and support her with whatever she needs. Right now she needs some space, but give her time and she will come around," she said gently, "don't push her, you need to show her you trust her and she needs to see that she can trust you."

Dipper wiped his eyes and nodded, guilt twisting in his gut. He'd already gotten to a terrible start, betraying that trust to find out the truth. No wonder she was pushing him away. Despite the nurse's sage advice, he had no idea what to do, or how to earn that trust back, but he would have to try.

The nurse handed him some tissues and gave him a pat on the back before going back to help other patients. He sat on a chair and waited, keeping his distance when the nurse finally went to check on her and he could hear them talking quietly for a moment or two before the curtain opened.

He released a heavy sigh when he saw Mabel awkwardly standing by her bed, wearing the blue-green hospital scrubs they loaned her and her dark purple coat, the sling on her arm hidden under the corduroy fabric, the sleeve dangling empty at her side. When she saw him she gave him a weak smile without really looking at him, and started walking outside, her body hunched over and stiff, clearly in great pain, and not just her shoulder. He quickly followed her, hovering with worry. She seemed very shaky on her feet, and avoided everyone's gaze as she walked, shrugging him off when she swayed and stumbled and he reached to keep her steady.

When they got outside she stopped, scanning the parking lot.

"I don't know where you parked," she murmured softly.

"Wait here, I'll go get the car," he said. She gave a curt nod and he scurried off. When he pulled up to the curb she was sitting on a bench staring off into space, not focusing on anything, not really aware of him pulling up until he was climbing out of the driver's seat, gently calling her name.

She startled slightly and when recognition set in she nodded and gingerly pushed herself up with her good arm and waved off his help as she carefully climbed in.

The drive home was awkward and quiet. Dipper tried to break the quiet by offering to buy breakfast on the way home but Mabel softly replied that she was tired and just wanted to go to bed.

When they pulled into the driveway and Dipper started to climb out Mabel stopped him, putting her hand on her brother's knee.

"Don't tell anyone what happened, OK?" she asked, her voice oddly quiet and meek, speaking as though it pained her to have to bring it up. "Especially mom and dad. They would be furious if they knew I went to a New Year's party without permission. They told me I couldn't go. They said I wasn't allowed to see Scott, they would be so mad, please don't tell them."

Dipper swallowed and nodded. He didn't know that she wasn't allowed to go to that party. He didn't know she had been forbidden to see Scott. Though to be fair he didn't ask and their parents never said anything to him. But he hated the idea of Mabel going to that party too, and he had such bad feelings about Scott but he didn't say anything. He should've said something. But he didn't. He didn't because he knew that it would've made Mabel mad and it wouldn't have changed things, she still would've gone. She still would've seen him. But maybe if Dipper followed his instincts and decided to tag along and went to the party as well, maybe this wouldn't have happened.

"It's bad enough that you know, I don't want anyone else finding out, OK? Promise me?"

He nodded again, though her words stung.

"Promise me!" she begged.

"I…I promise," he replied quietly, not understanding why. If nothing bad happened, Mabel would've been grounded maybe, but considering what did happen, they would've understood, they would've been supportive and had her back. That's what she needed, so why would she prefer to keep it to herself? Why would she rather suffer alone than seek comfort in her family, the people she cared about most and who would always love and support her no matter what? Why would she shut him and everyone else out?

Mabel looked him in the eyes then, as though studying him and trying to figure out if he meant it. If he would stay true to his promise, no matter how much he might've disagreed. His heart broke at the raw pain, grief and shame in her eyes, and it was almost a relief when she broke eye contact and gave a firm nod, satisfied and reached her uninjured arm across her lap to open the passenger door, gingerly climbing out.

As he climbed out after her a thought occurred to him. He tried to resist speaking, knowing Mabel didn't want to talk about it but he couldn't help himself, "But won't they find out anyway?"

"Are you going to tell them?"

"No, I won't unless you say I can, but…"

"Then they won't find out."

"But…won't they find out when you have to go to court?"

"Why would I go to court?"

"Because he attacked you, he…he tried to…surely that means you'll have to go to court sooner or later?"

"Only if I press charges."

"Wait, you're not? But why?"

"None of your business, OK?" she snapped.

"Then why was he arrested?"

Mabel squeezed her eyes shut, ducking her head almost sheepishly, pained to answer him, "He had an outstanding arrest warrant."

Dipper nearly choked from shock.

"I didn't know this when I met him! I didn't know this until we were at the hospital! They arrested him for attacking me, but held him for these other charges. I don't know what they are for and I don't care. I'm never seeing him again so it doesn't matter. They took my statement in case I change my mind, but I won't. So that's it. It's over."

He knew that she was only fooling herself, and now he had something else to worry about, besides her well-being. What if Scott retaliated? He already made the threat, what's to stop him for carrying it out? He already had a criminal record, and judging by the sorry state Mabel was in, it was probably for something violent and dangerous. Maybe Mabel wasn't the first girl he assaulted. Maybe she wouldn't be the last either. Speaking out and seeking justice had its own dangers, but so did staying silent.

Dipper bit his tongue, knowing it wasn't the time to ask her to reconsider. If it was all a lot for _him_ to process, he couldn't imagine how much it was for her. Maybe she would change her mind on her own time, after she had a chance to process and heal. Right now, it was clearly too much for her and Dipper had to try and understand that and he had to support her and respect her decisions, whether he agreed with them or not. Right now it was all too new, shock still hadn't had a chance to wear off. He just needed to give her time.

"So…what do we tell them?" Dipper asked quietly.

"Same thing I told you," she replied, "I fell down the stairs. I tripped over the cat and dislocated my shoulder trying to catch myself and hit my head on the banister."

He didn't like how easily the lie came to her.

She seemed to sense that and added, "It's not a lie. Not entirely. I really did fall down some stairs. Sort of. Scott…he…he pushed me...after he...after he tried to..." her voice trailed off, she seemed to struggle to finish her sentence, but she didn't need to. The haunted look in her eyes, the hitch of her breath and the fear in her face said enough. It was like she was back there, reliving it in her mind.

"I'm going to kill him," Dipper seethed without thinking.

"No," Mabel gasped, suddenly back in the present, "No! You won't do anything of the sort. You stay away from him, OK?"

"After what he did? Why are you protecting him?" he hissed.

" _Him_? I'm trying to protect _you_ dummy!" she snapped back. "I _know_ now what he's capable of. If it weren't for Grunkle Stan teaching me how to fight…I might not have gotten away. He might've..." she shuddered, a lone tear escaped her haunted eyes as she drew in a shaky breath, "he might've…you know. But he didn't. He _didn't_ , OK? So I'm fine. You don't need to avenge my honour or anything. Just…stay away from him. I don't want you to get hurt."

Dipper's stomach rolled with nausea, worried she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince him that it didn't get that far. He swallowed hard, hoping he was reading into things. Surely, he was reading into things. "OK. OK, you're right. But what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know," Mabel replied, "just, forget about it. Let's just put this behind us and move on, OK? I don't want to deal with this anymore. I'm done. As far as we or anyone else is concerned, he's just another bad boyfriend to add to the list, nothing more. Just let it go and stop worrying about it, I'm _fine_."

"I don't think I can do that."

Mabel sighed, "I know. But either way, I'm done talking about it. Can we go inside now? I'm freezing."

Dipper nodded and unlocked the door, holding it open for Mabel letting her lead the way inside. She immediately headed upstairs to her room with Dipper hovering behind. She hissed in pain as she slid out of her coat and looked down at her borrowed clothes with a sigh as she sat heavily on her bed, fully spent, "I should've asked you to bring pajamas," she muttered absently, "These are fine, but not very cozy and I _really_ don't have the energy to change."

He didn't dare ask what happened to the clothes she had, imagining they were probably ruined and he didn't want to know exactly how they were ruined. He went into the bathroom they shared and emerged with a glass of water and some pills he had in his palm, "You need to take these. It's obvious that the meds they gave you at the hospital have worn off."

Mabel took them without question and rested her head against her pillow, wincing as she tried to find a comfortable position. "Can I get you anything?" Dipper asked.

"I just want to sleep," she sighed, closing her eyes.

"Yeah, well if you need anything, I'll be in my room."

"You need to go to work," Mabel reminded him, "I know how much saving money for a car and college and stuff means to you…I don't want to hold you back."

"I'm not leaving you alone," Dipper protested, flinching a little when her words brought back memories of that horrible day almost five years ago when the Rift broke.

"This stuff should knock me out for several hours. I'll be fine," Mabel insisted, "I'm fine, just leave me alone and let me sleep. Don't skip work on my account."

Dipper didn't want to argue so he agreed, "OK. But if you need anything call me. Deal?"

"Deal," she murmured, already half-asleep.

Dipper yawned, pulling her blanket over her and tucking her in. If she was even awake enough to notice the gesture, she didn't acknowledge it.

He quietly slipped out of the room, closed the door and called his boss, telling her he couldn't come in to work as he went to his own room. There was no way he was leaving Mabel alone. Even if she was going to sleep the day away, even if she would prefer to be on her own Dipper didn't feel right about leaving her in such a vulnerable position. Besides, he too was exhausted, and far to worried to think about work.

"Give her time," Dipper whispered as he flopped down on his bed and stared at the wall separating their rooms, hating how she was dealing with this so far, wishing he knew how to help her and wishing that she would accept his help and not shut him out. But how else _could_ she deal with this, right now, when the trauma was still too new, the wounds too fresh, and elements of denial and shock were still too prevalent?

Besides, he wasn't exactly handling things very well either. Maybe he shouldn't have gone after Scott, but could anyone blame him? And maybe he was wrong for being nosy and finding out what she didn't want him or anyone else to know, but he couldn't help himself. He still couldn't quite understand why she would've preferred him to remain in the dark, but at least now she didn't have to deal with this alone. She might not have seen it that way, but that didn't change anything.

The whole situation was confusing and overwhelming, but one thing was for certain. Dipper was always going to have her back, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

A/N Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Either way I would love to know what you think.


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